Summary: Uchi rejoins Kanjani 8. But he isn't the person who left. Ryo's
also changed, he's showing signs of insane!Ryo

The call Uchi Hiroki had been waiting for finally came. The agency was
impressed by his hard work. He was given the choice of one group to rejoin,
news or Kanjani 8. It didn't take him a minute to decide. He wanted to be a
member of Kanjani 8. Ryo was always more his real self when he was in that
group. He looked at the ring Ryo had given him. He had worked very hard to come
back. He wanted to be back at Ryo's side.

A flood of congratulations calls came. From other groups, from juniors,
from his other group members. One person did not call. That person was
Nishikido Ryo.

Still, Uchi hoped that soon he would be back with Ryo. The night they had
spent together gave him hope. When finally, Ryo trusted Uchi enough to show him
his real self. Not the self-centered man that he showed everyone. Uchi found
that he was in love with the real Ryo.

Uchi had to sign some papers before the press conference. He wasn't sure
what they were, since he all ready signed his new contract. Uchi had been well
rehearsed in what to say at the press conference. He wasn't allowed to talk
about the suspension; instead he was to only talk about his hard work as a
trainee.

It seemed to take forever to get to Johnny's Osaka office. It was smaller
then the Tokyo office. For some reason Uchi always liked it better. He noticed
people watching from the third floor window, Ohkura and Shota. He wondered why
they were there. But then the curtains suddenly snapped shut.

Uchi went inside the agency. He no longer had to hide like a criminal. He
was allowed to go through the front door. His new PM Didnt' say much to him.
Uchi knew she wasn't too thrilled to have to work with Uchi.

He was taken to a room on the third floor. Then the PM excused herself.
Uchi opened the door to the room. It was dark inside. He went in and tried to
find the lights.

Suddenly the lights snapped on, and everyone yelled.
"Surprise!"

His band mates jumped out from hiding places. They ran up to him, hugging
him, patting him on the back. Everyone seemed to be talking to him at once.

After talking to everyone for a while, the Kansai Juniors were let into
the party. All of them seemed very glad the Uchi was back to being sempai. But
still, after almost an hour, he hadn't talked to anyone. Nishikido Ryo sat in a
corner, glaring at him. His eyes looked very wild. It took Uchi a few moments
to realize what Ryo looked like; he was like a trapped wild animal. One that
was about to strike out at his captors.

Uchi decided that if Ryo wasn't going to talk to him, he was going to
talk to Ryo. He went to Ryo, standing in front of him. "It's good to see
you Ryo."

"What did you call me?" Ryo demanded. He jumped to his feet and
gave Uchi a little push. "You will address me as Nishikido-sempai."

"I'm debuted again." Uchi reminded him.

"I'm still your sempai." Ryo gave him another push. "I'll
always be your sempai."

"I'm sorry, sempai." Uchi apologized. "It's been..."

"Shut up!" Ryo snapped. "You made it clear you want
nothing to do with me."

"But..."

"I said shut up!" Ryo slapped Uchi across the face. "We
have to work together that is all! I don't want to talk to you until absolutely
necessary."

He could very easily overcome Ryo in a fight, but he knew it wouldn't
help anything. Instead, Uchi looked at the floor. "Yes sempai."

"I hate you," Ryo said coldly. "I was wrong in loving
someone as horrible as you."

"I had to leave you to protect you," Uchi reminded him.

"From what?" Ryo demanded. "What exactly could they have
done to me?"

"You could have been fired." Uchi tried to reason.

"Liar!" Ryo moved to punch, this time Uchi blocked it. He
grabbed Ryo's fist and applied a slow steady pressure.

"I am not the same boy that you used to beat." Uchi said
levelly. "Lay another hand on me, and I'll make sure you never touch me
again."

"You’re just a princess." Ryo spat. Uchi applied more pressure
to Ryo's fist. Ryo flinched in pain. Finally he gasped. "How did you get
so strong?"

Uchi let go of Ryo's hand, then left the room. He had to calm down. For
the good of everyone he couldn't loose it.

*********************

Uchi walked quickly to the rest room. He was angry. He knew he had to let
it out some way. He punched the towel dispenser as hard as he could.

He had worked so hard to be back with Ryo. The fact that Ryo didn't like
him hurt him to the core. But he was strong now. The time away from the group
was the best thing that could happen to Uchi. He had studied Karate to keep in
shape. The discipline of the dojo had changed Uchi. He no longer drank or
smoked. He didn't cry at a drop of a hat. He would no long be anyone's boy
hole.

He began to practice one of his Katas. A karate routine that always
calmed him. He could center his mind and think about what he was doing. Every
movement he made precise.

A few minutes passed. Ohkura came into the rest room. He stood there
simply watching Uchi. His eyes got huge with every move Uchi made.

Finally Uchi stopped. "Can I help you?"

"What was that?" Ohkura asked.

"It's called a Kata. I use it to help me center myself." Uchi
told him.

"Why are you doing it in here?" He looked very concerned.

"I didn't want that baka to see that he got to me." He
admitted.

"What baka?" Ohkura asked puzzled.

"Ryo," Uchi shrugged. "He says he hates me."

"Do you really believe that?"

"I don't care." Uchi said. "I really don't."

"I thought you loved him." Ohkura pointed out.

"I do," Uchi admitted. "But I cannot be responsible for
his emotions. If he wants to love me back fine, if he doesn't, well that's his
problem."

"Why do I suddenly feel like the aliens have taken Uchi
Hiroki?" Ohkura asked.

"I think Ryo's gone a little crazy." Ohkura admitted.
"About the time you came back as a trainee. Something happened to him.
It's like something in his mind snapped. He hasn't gotten along with anyone
since then. I'm not sure what it was. He was in Tokyo at the time."

"Oh no," Uchi realized. "It can't be that."

"Can't be what?"

Uchi explained about the night he was together with Ryo. How Ryo had
given him a ring and promised to love him forever. To protect the one he loved,
Uchi had left Ryo.

"Doesn't that idiot realize what you did was for him?" Ohkura
asked.

"Ryo's so self centered do you really think that crossed his
mind?" He asked. "Let's get back to the party."

*****************

"We're going on a retreat this weekend." Ohkura told him. On
the way back to the waiting room from the rest room.

"A retreat." Uchi repeated. He wasn't too sure he wanted to
spend the weekend with the group.

"Want to come?" Okura offered.

"The agency told me to keep this weekend free. They haven't told me
why." Uchi said. "They said it was for group business."

"I bet they meant the retreat!" Ohkura smiled at him.

"Where will we go?"

"My grandfather owns an onsen. He's letting us use several rooms."
Ohkura told him. "Come on, it will be fun."

Uchi returned from the rest room a few minutes later. Kanjani 8 where
sitting together at one side of the room, the juniors had music playing and
they danced with each other. Uchi went to join his friends.

"You will not say anything bad about Uchi, will you?" Subaru
asked Ryo. It wasn't a question, not really, more of a command.

Ryo glared at Subaru. "I know my job."

"Come on Uchi, you have to be happy." Maru came up to him. He
grabbed his hand. Uchi noticed that Ryo was now glaring at him.

"I am happy," Uchi smiled.

"Are you upset that you weren't allowed to join News?" Shota
guessed.

"I had to choose one group to rejoin. I picked this one." Uchi
shrugged.

. "What about your little boy friend?" Ryo sneered.

"I don't have a boy friend." Uchi said truthfully. 'The man I
love more then anything hates me."

"Tell me who he is, and I'll kill him for you." Ryo's eyes
looked dangerous. He went to Uchi, grabbing him by the shoulders and shook him
hard. "Tell me!"

Uchi stepped back; he raised his arms, shoving outwards. Suddenly Ryo was
no longer touching him. Ryo moved closer to him a fist rose. With a quick push
from Uchi, Ryo was on the ground. He had excelled in offensive moves at the
Dojo. He knew he hadn't hurt Ryo. Just avoided his bullying.

"How did you do that?" Shingo asked astonished.

"I studied Karate during my break." Uchi shrugged. "I went
every day to a local dojo to work out."

"Karate!" Yoko gasped.

"Well, I had to keep in shape." he smiled as he ignored the
glare from Ryo.

Uchi went to his workout bag; he unzipped it and took his belt out.
Everyone in the room's eyes grew big. "I'm still excited about my new
belt. I just earned it last week."

Shota's mouth flew open. "That's black!"

"Very good, you know your colors." Subaru mocked.

"No wonder you kept in shape." Shingo said. "Could you
teach us some karate?"

"Sure, it will help us with our dance." Uchi put his belt up.

"Congratulations on earning your black belt." Maruyama told
him. "I know it must have taken a lot of work to get it."

"You wouldn't believe how much work." Uchi admitted. Then he
smiled and joined his friends at the party.

******************

Finally it was time for the press conference. The members of Kanjani 8
sat at a table. Maru on one side of Uchi, Ryo on the other.

The Subaru read the press statement. Because of his very hard work, Uchi
was being allowed to rejoin Kanjani 8.

Uchi got up and made his statement. He had been allowed to write it
himself. He discussed how glad he was that he was now a member of the greatest
group on Earth.

Questions were asked. One reported asked Ryo how it was it like to have
Uchi back.

"It's like a dream come true." Ryo smiled as if he were
ecstatically happy that his friend was back. He gushed on and on about how much
he had missed Uchi.

*If only it were true.* Uchi thought. Ryo was acting, just like he did
with about everything all his life.

Uchi realized the Ryo Uchi had fallen in love with. The Ryo who had given
him his ring and said he loved Uchi was gone. Never to return. Instead, the old
Ryo was back. Uchi knew he would have to be very careful from now on.

Uchi wasn't the same one that had been fired from the Johnny's so long ago. He
was strong; Uchi Hiroki knew he could live a good life, with or without
Nishikido Ryo. He just hoped that someday, that Ryo would change and that they
could be together again. Because after all of this, Uchi still loved Ryo.